Pyrophoric igniter



A. DUBSKY t PYROPHORIC IGNITER` Filed Aug. 1. 1936 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. ll, V1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE- A...

Application August 1 1936,7Serial No. 93,758 In Austria August 6, 1935 7 Claims.

This invention relates to pyrophoric igniters operating with a friction wheel, in which the wick cap is mounted so as to pivot around the axis of the friction wheel and is acted on by a spring in such a manner that it is held both in the closed position and in the open position, into which it is brought by pressure.

The present invention relates more-particularly to the articulated connection of the pivotaliy mounted wick cap with .the hollow pressure part with which it is actuated and in which is disposed a tension spring which on the one hand engages the pressure part and on the other hand a xed place of the igniter. This tension spring holds the wick cap both in the closed position and in the open position and, after pressure has been applied to the pressure part, causes the latter and the wick cap to spring open. This arrangement resultsin a very simple construction consisting of rockable wick cap and rockable pressure part, which has a very soft (yield 4 ing) action.

A constructional example of the igniter according to the invention is illustrated in the on line AA--B cap open of the hollow presthe wick cap d1 and the frame-like wind screen w are mounted on the shaft b which is itself supported in the two upwardly extending lugs a1, a1 of the int tube. a. The hollow pressure parte is open at the front and at the bottom, partially embraces the rear part of the cover d, of the wind screen w and of the friction wheel r and engages with its hook-shaped bent over lip .e1 in a slot d2 of the cover d. The pressure part is thus secured directly and releasably to the cover and the wick cap. In the pressure part e is also disposed a bow-shaped tension spring f, the cross piece f1 of which bridges over the side walls of the pressure part and the limbs f2, f3 of which are loop-shaped and lie close to the side walls of the pressure part e. The free ends -ofl these limbs bear against inwardly bent flaps `e2 and e3 of the pressure part e and the limbs f2, f3 of the spring are guided near the cross-piecej1 between bent over flaps e4, e4 and e5, e5 of the pressure part e.

The flint tube a contains the flint c, the spring g for pressing the iiint against the friction wheel 1' and aclosing screw h and is removably inserted in a. sleeve i which extends from' the top cover of the fuel container'k -almost to the bottom of the same. The flint tube a is provided at the upper end with a hook`a2. For placing the pressure part e in position the flint tube a together with the` parts r, d, d1 and w is withdrawn from the fuel container k, the cross-piece f1 of the spring f is placed into the hook a2 and the lip e1 ofthe pressure part e is inserted in the slot d2, the .i

spring f being stressed. By the stressed spring f which is effective between the points e2, e3 and al the pressure part e is pressed from above against the cover d and the parts e, d thereby securely heid together, the pressure part e having no fixed axis of rotation.

A The igniter operates in the following manner: In the closed positionof the parts, as shown in Fig. 1,` the points of support e2, e3 and a2 of the spring f are' to the left of the axis of rotation b. A torque is thereby exerted on the pressure part e in the counter-clockwise direction and consequently the pressure parte holds the wick cap d1 in the closed position. 0n pressure being applied to the rear end of the pressure part e in the direction of the arrow p (Fig. 1), it is turned together with the cover d, d1 and the spring is stressed until the points of support e2, e3 and a2 of the spring f come into alinement with the axis b. On the line connecting the points e2, e3 and a2 coming to the right of Athe axis b, the spring f again `becomes unstressed and will then act yin the vclockwise direction.

Consequently the pressure part e and the cover d with the wick cap d1 are moved rapidly into the open position, with or without a continuance of the pressure, and are finally heid in the open position (Fig. 4). The cover d together with the wick cap d1 are rocked round the shaft b of the friction wheel and the pressure part e round the bearing supporting the spring crosspiece f1 at a2, without the connection between cover d and pressure part e being released. During this rapid opening motion of d and d1 the friction wheel r has a rapid rotary motion imparted to it by known means, not shown in the drawing, so that sparks'jump across'to 'the wick l and ignite it.

The closing of the igniter may be effected by the pressure of a finger against the pressure part e from below or against the cover d from the side (see arrows in Fig-4).

Various parts of the arrangement according to the invention may be modified without going beyond the scope of the invention. The pressure part may be permanently attached to the 4 wick cap or cover, in which case it cannot be released by being simply unhooked. Furthermore, the spring ,f need not be bow-shaped, but may have the form of one or of two loops j or/and f3, which engage at the top at e2 or e? in the pressure part e and at the bottom at any fixed point of the igniter, preferably the flint tube a. The spring may also have the form of an ordinary tension spring, for instance that of a helix, for which adequate space is made by enlarging the pressure part. The arrangement of the lower point of support a2 of the tension 'spring on the'flint tube a has the advantage, that the parts r, d. d1, e and a can be mounted on the fuel container k as a single unit. The wind screen w may be omitted.

What I claim is:

1. A pyrophoric igniter having a frame, a friction wheel, a wick, a wick cap adapted to rock about the friction wheel axis, a manually movable hollow pressure member attached to the wick cap, said cap and pressure member being movable in unison and a tension spring having A one portion in pressing engagement with the hollow pressure member at a point above the wheel' axis and normally to one side thereof and having another portion in fixed pivotal engagement with the frame at a point below the wheel axis, said spring being so shaped and so positioned relative to the axis of the wheel that it normally tends to accelerate the movement of said cap and pressure member to open or closed position when said pressure member is manually moved to apoint where the point of engagement between the spring and pressure member is in alignment with the wheel axis and its point of pivotal engagement with the frame.

2. -An.igniter as claimed in claim 1 in which the hollow pressure member is pivotally and releasably connected to the wick cap and the tension spring secures the connection between the two parts.

3. An igniter as claimed in claim 1 in which the tension spring has the form of a loop.

4. An igniter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a hook on the frame, the tension spring being bow-shaped and having limbs in the form of loops and a cross piece, said cross piece being guided in the hollow pressure member and being attached to said hook to form the axis of rotation for the spring and the pressure member when the latter is moved.

5. An igniter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a tubular member supported by the frame and a flint member in said tubular member, a portion of said tubular member forming the bearing for the friction wheel shaft, said shaft forming the connection between the wick cap and the tubular member, said tension spring having a portion thereof engaging the pressure member and having another portion engaging the tubular member.

6. An igniter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a wind screen surrounding the wick, a tubular member supported by the frame and a flint member in said tubular member, said wick cap being connected with said tubular member and wind screen by the friction wheel shaft, said tension spring having a portion thereof engaging the pressure member and having another portion engaging the tubular member.

7. An igniter as claimed in claim 1 character- -zed bya tubular member supported by the frame,

a flint member in said tubular member, a hook member formed on said tubular member, vsaid wick cap and tubular member being connected Iby the friction wheel shaft, said tension spring 

